Improvement in air-forcing apparatus



J. 1:'. BARKER. Air-Forcing Apparatus. No. 221,385.

)L PETERS, FHOT0-IJT`HOGHAPNER| WASNINGTUN. D C4 if, A

'UNITEDv STATES PATENT Orr-irren1 JOI-IN F. BARKER, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

I, IMPROVEMENT IN AIR-FORCING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 221,385, dated November 11, 1879; application filed .T une 11, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known thatI, JOHN F. BARKER, of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usef'ul Improvements Pert-aining to Air-Forcing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the- Y tus in central vertical longitudinal section.

My invention is an improvement useful in connection With and applicable to that class of rotary meter-wheel air-forcing apparatus commonly called pumps,77 used for feeding air into the generators of apparatus for producing an `illuminatingfgas from light hydrocarbon oils, commonly called gasoline.7

The principle of my improvement is not confinedin its application to meter-wheel air-pumps simply, nor to apparatus for generating illum inating-gas in the manner mentioned; but I shall describe the application of the principle, and also themechanism for applying the principle, in that connection, using a water-Wheel asa motor for the meter-Wheel pump.

The letter a denotes the cylinder containing the rotary meter-wheel, and b denotes the small Water-wheel on the same shaft with the meterwheel.` The water for driving the water-wheel flnds access to the `wheel through the tube c, in which is a'cock, d, to controll or shut off the flow of Water. The letter c denotes the airsupply orifice, f the pipe through which air is fed to the generator, g a pipe for introducing thereqnisite amount of water into the cylinder a, and h a glazed peep-hole for observing the heightof the waterin the cylinder. The let- `ter c denotes a pipe for drawing out Water from the pump-cylinder.

On the top of the cylinder a there is'arran ged a pressure-indicator, j, similar in construct-ion and operation to an ordinary gasometer or gasholder. It is a cylinder with the upper end closed, the lower end open and dipping into Water contained in the tank 7c. A pipe coming from the top of the cylinder a runs up through the water contained in the tank k, and opens y into the chamber or open space inside the cylinderj. The effect of this arrangement is, that the cylinder j rises as tlie air-pressure in the pump-cylinder increases, and falls as it decreases. This pressure-indicator connects with the water-cock d by means of the arm Z, and the parts are so combined and arranged that when the indicator is downthat is, at the lowest limit of its movementthe cock d is open and `water ows freely upon the waterwheel. As the indicator rises the cockis gradually and finally wholly closed, the closing taking place at the point when a suitable and desired pressure of air is exceeded, and the moment that pressure becomes less the indicator commences to fall and the cock to open farther and farther.

So far I have described an apparatus already known and in use. I will point out some of its practical limitations.

The speed of rotation of the water-wheel is, in the nature of things, limited 5 hence its production of power 'is limited, and that power has, in a properly-working apparatus, to maintain a certain `and constant relation to the pressure-indicator. A

Gas pressures are commonly denoted in inches. An inch-pressure is a pressure which,

v applied to the .surface of the water in one leg of a reversed siphon, will raise the Water in the other leg an inch above its normal height. A two-inch pressure is one which will thus raise the Water two inches, and so on for higher pressures.

Difference in number of burners, or in height to which the gas must be forced, require corresponding differences in the gas pressure. Given a case-where a two-inch pressure is required, the pressure-indicator must be weighted and adapted to remain at a certain point when the pump exerts a two-inch pressure, and at this point it must hold the cock which supplies water to the water-wheel open just so far as will permit the passage of the proper amount of water, and the wheel must be adapted in size and rotation to produce a two-inch pressure. Such an adaptation of the water-Wheel not only requires that the power exerted should be sufficient to raise the pressure-indicator to the certain point7 last mentioned, but the 2 senses wheel must exert a small excess ot' power to overcome the balance which would otherwise exist between the wheel and the indicator, and permit the wheel to rotate while maintaining the requisite pressure. This excess of power Idenominate the margin of power, and it is practically arrived at by giving the wheel a certain number of buckets more than is requisite to get just the desired pressure.

Now, it', with this apparatus adjusted to produce a two-inch pressure, a case arises where a three-inch or four-inch pressure is required, clearly the apparatus thus adjusted is not adequate to the task. To make it adequate the water-wheel must be replaced by one of greater power, and, having attained such a Wheel, the pressure-indicator must be weighted and adapted to the power of the new wheel and the desired increased pressure.

It is, among others, these limitations and these di'iculties that my present invention is designed to obviate and overcome. My present invention renders it practicable to use a water-wheel of a certain power-say, a power adequate to the production of afour-inch pressure, and at will make the apparatus to which it is attached produce the maximum pressure, or any pressure less than that. 1t makes one wheel and one apparatus produce a wide range of pressures at will.

The vital principle oi' my present invention is the controlling of the inlet ofair to the pump by the pressure produced by the pump operating through suitable mechanical means. The principle is not limited to any particular kind of pump, nor to any particular motive power for operating the pump.

It will be readily understood that if all ingress of air be stopped the pump must be stopped, for it will not work while tending to produce a vacuum. It follows that it' the ingress of air be partially stopped the working of the pump will be proportionately retarded. Now, if an excess of pressure he made to work to or toward the closing of the air-inlet, and vice versa, the principle of my present invention is developed.

The letter m denotes a gate or valve to the air-inlet n, a rod connecting the valve with the outer arm of the pivoted lever o, the inner arm of which isjointcd to the top of the pressure indicator. '.lhis arrangement necessitates that when the pressure -indicator rises above the certain point at which it should be for the maintenance ot' the desired pressure, the air-valve m will commence to close, and, by shutting ol' air, act as a drag or brake on the meter-wheel and on the motive power, and vice versa.

By means of the nuts pp on the rod n the valve m can be set at any desired point with reference to the air-inlet. By moving the fulcrum-block or pivot-block r on the rod t the relative lengths oi' the arms of the levero can be varied at pleasure, and a quicker or slower movement be thereby given to the air-valve.

The pivot-block r is provided with a set-screw, r', for this purpose. From the pivot-block depends a pivoted rocker-arm, s, through which the lever o runs, it being adjustable therein and held to place. when adjusted, by the setscrew s. Such adjustment in the rocker-arm is essential when the pivot-block is adjusted on the rod t.

The air-valve is pressed upon gently, that it shall not move accidentally or by its own gravity, by the spring u peculiarly shaped, in that it is formed into a convexity, where it touches the valve.

It will be observed that this spring is not used to give the reciprocating movement of the valve in either direction, but that it is stationarily attached by its ends to the ways m", and holds the reciprocating valve against the valve-face; and that for this purpose the convexity has a peculiar advantage in that it touches the valve at but a slight point, or by a small beariugsurface, and that a rounded surface, so as to attain but aminimum ot'friction or resistance to the reciprocating motion of the valve, consistently with the exertion of' a. pressure suiieient to hold the valve to its seat, and prevent its accidental movement.

There is a feature in my newly-invented part of this mechanism of peculiar utility when and the supply of water thereto is control-led and governed by the pressure-indicator.

It will be observed that in the drawings the nuts p p do not closely embrace the projection m from the ar-valve,al1d that the rod n has thereby what is commonly called lost motion. This has a direct reference to the cock d. These nuts are so adjusted that the air-valve cannot wholly close until the port through the plug ofthe cock d has a trifle more than closed. Then, when the pressure-indicator falls, as it will by its own gravity, and the depletion of the air within it, the water-cock will be slightly opened before the air-valve commences to open. This insures that the water-wheel shall start gradually and immediately as the air-valve commences to open.

Although I have in the foregoing description designated the cylinder which contains the meterwheel by the letter a, I shall in the following claim mean the letter a to stand for the pump as a whole--thatis, for the cylinder and the contained pump.

I claim as my invention- 1. The arrangement, upon the inlet of a meter-wheel airpump, of a valve operated by the pressure of air in the pump acting directly and constantly against the pressureindicator j, and thence transmitted by suitable mechanism to the valve, substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination, the pump a., pressure-indicator j, lever o, rod n, adjusting-nuts p p, and air-valve m, all arranged to operate substantially as described.

3. In combination, the pump a, pressure a water-wheel is used as the motive power,

indicator j, lever o, adjustable pivot-block and Wheel b, lever o, rod n, adjusting-nuts p p, and

rocker-arm r s, rod n, and air-valvem, all arair-valve m, all arranged to operate substanranged to operate substantially as described. tially as described, and for the purposes set 4. The stationary convex spring u, combined forth.

with the reciprocating and sliding valve m, JOHN F. BAKKER.

substantially as described. Witnesses:

5. In combination, lthe pump a, pressure- ROBT. F. GAYLORD,

indicator j, arm l, cock d, Water-pipe c, Water- W. E. SIMONDS. 

